The Cursed Beauty
by Leowawa
Summary: Amu, the most beautiful girl in town, has the perfect life anyone could imagine. Until one day, when she is cursed with a different face, she becomes involved with a secret organization that hunts down those who casts these curses. Along the way, she will learn of the unheard stories of those who were cursed, and fall in love.
1. Chapter 1

"Amu!"

The girl with flowing pink hair turned around to face the approaching group of girls. Her honey golden eyes blinked, recognizing her friends. Anyone who met her would blush by her flawless beauty.

"Are you on your way to karaoke too, Amu?" one of the girls piped. They had just ended school, celebrating their success in becoming seniors. "Yeah," she smiled, flashing her white teeth. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she walked with the girls.

They were all in the same school, wearing a light cream colored uniform. Most of them wore short socks and sneakers with the formal top, but Amu preferred to wear high socks and brown boots. She loosened her collar and tie, opening her uniform blazer.

While they went on to chatter about the recent news, Amu stared off into space. _The sky is so pretty_, she thought, admiring the soft colors around the sinking sun darken into the soon to be night sky. She could already spot the full moon.

"Amu?" a girl repeated. Breaking from her trance, she glanced at the girls. "Hm?" she blinked cluelessly. "I said have you heard of the witch sightings?" Amu finally realized the girls were talking about the witch rumors.

"No, I haven't. Are they around town?" she asked. The girls exchanged anxious looks and nodded. "They advised us to go home before midnight," another informed. "Most of the disappearances have been past midnight."

While they gave shivers, Amu seemed to be very curious. She'd never met a witch before, and wondered what she would do if she faced one. Of course, it would be senseless if she froze there and watched as the witch cursed her or something.

"I hope we end karaoke early so I can crawl to safety to my bed," a girl shivered, causing stifles of laughs from her friends. They finally reached the little karaoke building, meeting up with the rest of their friends.

"Congratulations to our seniors!" one cheered, raising his glass of soda. "We wish you the best of look out there!"

In unison, they all raised their glasses gently hitting against each other's. While one of the sophomores began to sing goofily, Amu laughed with her friends, watching as he began to dance to the music. "Hey, Amu," one of the juniors whispered, nudging her shoulder. "Look over there." Following her eyes, she noticed the captain of the soccer team glancing at her from time to time.

"I think he likes you," she giggled, drinking the rest of her soda. "You think?" Amu smiled, watching as he blushed when their eyes met. He finally took the courage to walk over to her, his fists clenched tightly. "Hey," he greeted shakily. "I'm Hayato. From the class next door to yours. I was wondering if… if you'd…"

Lost with his words, he immediately shoved his hand out to her. He held a little folded piece of paper containing his number. "I was wondering if you could call me sometime," he finally blurted.

Taking the paper, the girl sitting next to Amu grinned. "She'll call you later," she promised, waving him goodbye. Nodding, Hayato looked at Amu again and returned to his seat. The boys around him patted his shoulder as he sighed in relief. The pink haired girl smiled, putting the paper into her pocket. "Are you going to call him?" she pressed on. "Oh, I'm so jealous of you. You're beautiful, smart… You're everything a boy would want!"

Everything a boy would want, huh… Amu would get at least a dozen confessions every day, stuffing her locker and desk with love letters and confessions out in the back of the school. She usually turned everyone down, which now seemed like a routine. "I don't know," she admitted, watching as the sophomore finally finished the song, panting heavily. "I'll see."

The night dragged on, leading to more laughs and dancing. "Kids, you know that it's 11:45, right?" the man at the front popped his head in. "You know about the witch curfews. You can either stay or find a ride home."

Opening her phone, Amu checked for any missed texts or calls. "I have to go home," Amu sighed, taking her bag. "I need to take care of my sister, since my parents are out of town." Everyone anxiously watched as she made her way to the door. "A-Are you sure you want to go out there?" one boy stuttered. "There might be witches out there…"

Before she could reply, Hayato stood up, grabbing his bag. "I-I'll come too!" he offered. "I'll walk you to your house." Whistles and cheers came from their friends. "Be careful on your way home," the man advised strongly, closing the door behind them.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea_, the girl thought, barely finding any people or cars outside. Most of the lights in stores and houses were out, except the faint lamps that illuminated the streets.

"My house is this way," Amu spoke, pointing north. Hayato nodded, walking alongside her. "So," he cleared his throat, obviously trying to make a conversation. "What are you doing over the summer?"

"Nothing, really," she replied with a calm voice. "Maybe head to the beach with some friends. Something like that."

The echoes of their footsteps were rhythmic, following the distant music of a jazz group within a bar. Just as Amu was comfortable with the atmosphere, Hayato stopped in the middle of the park. "I like you a lot, Amu!" he confessed, bowing to her. "I'd like you to go out with me!"

_That quick…_ Amu sighed, trying to find a way to let him down easy. "Please lift your head up, Hayato…" her voice faltered as she recognized someone standing beside a dim lit lamp. Wearing a dark hooded cape, it seemed as if the person was watching them from afar. "Hayato…" she whispered. "There's someone there…"

Immediately standing straight, he turned around to see the hooded figure. Startled, he began to step back, but realized Amu was with him. He decided to look calm and brave, straightening his back and puffing out his chest. "Excuse me," he called out in the dark. "Are you lost? Are you waiting for someone?"

As he approached the person, Amu's grip on her bag tightened. "Hayato, back away," she warned shakily, as if feeling something bad was about to happen.

Hayato was only a few feet away when he heard the hooded figure speak. "How clueless are you, human? You should have listened to that man." Alarmed, he began to step back. "W-What…?"

Stepping forward, it seemed as though the person was chuckling. "He told you to either stay or get a ride. You should have done so instead of walking out like a helpless mouse!" The person lunged towards him, flying straight through him.

With a yelp, he fell back, shadows engulfing him. "H-Hayato!" Amu exclaimed. She knew this person was a witch, but could not do anything about it. Her worst thoughts about witches came true. What could she do while one of her classmates was rolling on the sidewalk?

Hayato finally froze, suddenly shrinking to become a crow. With a squawk, it flew to the person's shoulder. "What a pretty bird you are," the person rasped, stroking its feathers. Gasping in horror, Amu began to back away until she realized the witch was turning to her.

"Oh, looks like I've caught a princess," she snickered, teleporting in front of her. Before she could even run away, she felt the person's cold skinny fingers grab hold of her arms. "No!" she shrieked. "Let me go!"

"I need some kind of souvenir," the witch muttered. "Why don't I just take your pretty face?" As she reached forward with her free hand, Amu panicked. _This crazy witch wants to take my face off? No way!_

Remembering her lessons from martial arts, she slipped through the person's frail fingers, grabbing hold of her shoulders. She brought her knee to the witch's stomach, hearing her snicker. "You think a mere knee to the stomach will hurt a witch?"

Holding her hand out, an ominous force forced her back, throwing her into the ground. Feeling her cheek and palms sting, she immediately sat up to face the towering witch. "I hope you like the new makeover," she cackled.

"What did you do?" she frowned, feeling nothing. _Did she put a curse on me?_ Standing up, she jumped at the witch again, trying to tackle her down and run away when she had the chance. However, once her nails scratched Amu's arm, she felt some sort of numbing radiating from it.

One by one, her legs collapsed. "W-What did you do…?!" As she felt her whole body going numb, she hit her head against the sidewalk. "Sweet dreams, little lady," the witch sneered. As she began to black out, she saw a group of shadowy figures attack the witch.

_Be careful…_ she thought, watching as they pushed the witch back. One of them ran towards her, holding her limp body up. _I'm so tired…_ She finally embraced the darkness, closing her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_Huh… where am… I?_ Feeling someone poke her cheek, she heard someone snap, "Ikuto, stop that!" The person sighed, pulling his finger back. Amu decided to act asleep to listen in on their conversation. "She's been in bed for two days," he insisted. "She should wake up by now."

Hearing a smack to the shoulder, the girl scolded him. "She was poisoned. Let her be, alright?" Ikuto grumbled something before leaving the room. The girl sighed, following him and closing the door behind them.

_Now's my chance!_

Opening her eyes, she found herself in a cozy small room. It looked like a girl's considering the pink walls and stuffed animals decorating the shelves and side of her bed. As she pulled the covers away from her body, she had to use all of her strength just to sit up.

_I feel so sore_, she bitterly thought, wincing at her achy limbs. Finding her boots beside the bed, she slipped into them, searching for her uniform blazer. _Ah, there it is…_ Taking the coat that hung over the mirror, she slipped into the blazer until she recognized herself in the mirror.

Before she could yelp in surprise, she clamped her mouth shut so that no one would hear she would be awake. Inching closer to the glass, she thought, _You've got to be kidding me… Right?_ Her long waterfall of pink hair had been changed into a dirty brown color. Her once golden colored eyes turned into an unusual shade of gray, like the sky when it starts to rain.

Glancing at her hands and the rest of her body, it seemed like she had gained weight and lost her perfect hourglass figure. Her fingers had little blisters, but were barely recognizable at a faraway view. Biting her cracked lip, she brushed her hair back as she tried to calm herself down.

_Alright, Amu. You were on your way home with that guy Hayato when a witch appeared, she recalled. When Hayato was turned into a bird… you tried to run away but the witch also cursed you… Into this?!_ Ruffling her hair, she widened her eyes.

_This can't be happening! _Hearing voices echo outside the bedroom, she looked around for a way out_. I don't know who these people are, but I'm guessing it's best if I run quietly_. Rushing to the window, she finally opened it after several attempts. The wind brushed past her cheek, throwing the curtains into the air.

With no one around, she turned around and started to climb out. After jumping down ledge from ledge, she finally landed into the soft grass. _Now I've gotten out of that place, all I need to do is-_ "You're pretty quick," a familiar voice spoke. Turning around, she found a young man lying beside the fountain.

He had dark blue hair, matching his sapphire eyes. He wore a loose black v neck and jeans, along with converse that matched his shirt. Narrowing his eyes into slits like a cat's he smiled at the girl. "Leaving without saying thank you?" he spoke. It was the guy who was poking her cheek when she had woke up.

"Who are you?" she frowned. She had no choice to remain where she was. Who knows, he could be with the witches. Sitting up, the boy yawned, stretching out his arms. "Ikuto," he introduced. "And you're Amu, correct?"

_He probably looked at my name tag_, she thought. "Where is this place?" Ikuto stood up without a word, circling around her numerous times. "W-What?" she blinked, wondering what he was trying to do. Ikuto stepped back, his eyes scanning her body. "You're not a witch," he mumbled to himself. "Excuse me?" she raised an eyebrow. "I don't think a witch would be fighting against another witch in the middle of the night."

"That's true," he shrugged. "But nothing seems to have changed about you. You were cursed, correct?" Amu nodded, realizing he did not know what happened. Just as she was about to explain, a girl appeared from the open window. "There you are!" she sighed in relief. Climbing out, the blonde girl leaped out and landed safely beside Ikuto. Another blonde haired girl followed after her.

The short girl standing beside Ikuto had long wavy brown hair, held back by a simple black hairband. Her big golden eyes stared up at Amu, as if ready to scold her. She had a simple soft green dress on with a white belt around her waist. She had knee high socks with sneakers on. The taller girl next to her had purple eyes that sparkled in the sunlight, her bangs barely covering their beauty. Her two long blonde pigtails reached down to her knees. She wore a lavender blouse with a white skirt, along with white and light purple sandals.

"You could have at least told me you were awake," the shorter girl sighed, crossing her arms. The girl beside her said nothing. "I'm Rima," she introduced. "And this is Utau, Ikuto's sister." Holding up a notebook, it read, _Nice to meet you_.

"She… can't talk?" Amu blinked curiously. "Like you, she's been cursed by a witch," Ikuto explained. Glancing back at Utau, she noticed how she looked like the kind of person who would talk a lot.

"Anyways," Rima cleared her throat. "Can we go inside and talk?" As she led the group inside, Amu gave one last glance at the gate behind her and entered the building. As Rima led them through the grand halls, Amu could not help but explore.

"To answer your question earlier," Ikuto spoke. "This is a secret organization hunting down witches who cast curses on innocent citizens." Amu frowned at him. "So it basically means you're protecting us," she narrowed her eyes.

Rima as well pitched in to the conversation. "And you assume we're not doing the best we can," she sighed. "I assure you we are. It's difficult to find a witch, but easy to track them down once you find the victim."

The four finally reached a large room consisting only of two sofas facing each other and a table. The marble floor revealed blurry figures of the teenagers as they walked in. Only several paintings and flowers in vases decorating the room were visible. As they got closer to the sofas, she found a man drinking tea. He saw the teenager approaching and stood up.

"Welcome," the man greeted. "Please, sit." He looked like he was around his late twenties, his smile similar to a child's. He had light brown hair growing past his ears, barely touching his neck. Wearing a simple pale blue uniform, he looked as if he came from a private school. Gesturing to the furniture across from him, Amu sat down. The other three stood by, listening quietly.

"I'm Tsukasa, the head of this organization," the man explained. "Will you please explain to me what happened?" Swallowing slowly, Amu leaned forward. "I was on my way home with a friend of mine when she appeared," she began. "She first turned him into a crow, and I tried to run away."

As she continued explaining, Tsukasa's expression never grew dark. Once she finished, he leaned back, tapping his foot. "I see," he thought to himself. When there was silence, she blurted out, "Is there any way I can go home? My sister is home alone, and I don't want to worry her any more…" Looking up, he gave a hesitant nod.

"We haven't found the witch who cast the curse on you yet, and we don't want any news breaking out. If it is an emergency, please go and return so that we can solve this problem." Her face lit up, bowing to Tsukasa. "Thank you very much!" she smiled, leaving the room.

_I finally get to go home!_ she thought with hope. Running down the street, she finally realized where she was and continued down the main road. After five minutes, she was already at her house with a special surprise. _Huh? There's my aunt's car…_

Slowing down, she found Ami slowly walking out of the front door, glancing back. Unlike Amu, she had short light brown hair with curls at the ends, only reaching her shoulders. She wore a pink shirt with a cartoon on it, along with short jeans and sneakers. Her innocent hazel colored eyes looked around, as if hoping for her big sister to appear. "Ami, dear!" her aunt called out from the car. "Let's go, we can't afford to waste any more time! I have a meeting to go to in an hour!"

Just as the little girl was about to step forward, Amu emerged from her hiding spot and waved to her sister. "Ami!" she called out. "I'm back! I'm sorry for making you worry-"

Once she made it to their lawn, Ami stared at her as if she was any other stranger. "Who… are you?" she asked. Startled, Amu began to inch closer, holding her arms out. "Ami, don't you recognize me-"

Stopping herself, she finally realized why she was looking at her strangely. The witch had cursed her with a different face.

Hearing the honk of the car's horn, their aunt repeated, "Let's go, Ami!" With one last weird glance at Amu, she ran off and jumped into the back of the car. Watching them drive away, Amu fell down, sitting in the grass in utter silence.

"Now I get it." Ikuto appeared on the roof, leaping down beside the silent girl. "The witch cursed you by taking your original body away, am I right?" Wondering why she was not replying, he noticed her sorrowful expression.

"I guess it's for the best," she murmured to herself. "At least she's with an adult…" Out of nowhere, Ikuto suddenly pinched her cheek. "Ouch!" she flinched, slapping his hand away. "What was that for?" Instead of replying with a sly smirk, he said, "Don't worry, we'll get you back to normal in no time."

Rubbing her red cheek, she stared at him for a long time. _Can I really trust these guys?_ she wondered. Hearing a twig snap in half across the street, she saw shadowy figures approaching them. "W-What are those?" she muttered, stepping back. Ikuto stood in front of her, prepared to fight.

"Those are the henchmen of witches," he explained. "One must be nearby then." Glancing around, he sighed hopelessly. "Since no one is here, I can't make use of my power. Let's go." Once he grabbed her hand and started to run, the shadows immediately chased them down the street.

"What's going on?!" Amu panicked, running alongside Ikuto.


	3. Chapter 3

As the two ran down the street, they realized the shadows were coming closer and closer. Opening his phone, Ikuto immediately dialed a number. "It's me," he spoke. "I need you here, right now. There's a witch nearby." Closing his phone, he turned the corner at the last second.

Several of the shadows continued down the street for a brief moment before pouring into the alleyway. "You're saying there's a witch nearby?" Amu panted. "Why don't we just find her and take her out so that all of these shadows will disappear?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Wow, what a good idea. The only problem is that I can't use my powers." Frowning at his sarcastic tone, she snapped, "It was just an idea! Besides, why can't you use your power-"

Feeling something grab hold of her ankle, she yelped, feeling the shadow pull her back. Ikuto gritted his teeth, playing tug o war with the shadows.

_This feels strange_, she squeezed her eyes shut. _I feel the darkness from those things… It's so cold… And my ankle is beginning to feel numb…_ Feeling her sweaty palm lose grip on Ikuto's she saw his surprised face before being swallowed by the darkness.

"Amu!"

She opened her eyes, finding herself floating in darkness. "Where… am I?" she wondered out loud, looking around. Nothing but endless darkness surrounded her. She floated around, hoping to find some kind of floor or wall.

Finally touching something solid in front of her, she began to bang against it. "I feel it growing weaker," she gritted her teeth, giving it a finally hit.

Like glass, the darkness shattered, revealing a blinding light in front of her. Shielding her face, she felt the fresh air refresh her. "Amu?" a voice gasped. Opening her eyes, she found herself in the park, along with Ikuto, Utau, and another guy.

"How did you…?" Ikuto frowned, trying to process what happened. Blinking cluelessly, she questioned, "What? What happened?" _I remember being pulled back by those shadows…_ "Kukai, let me use your power for a second," he said, briefly touching the guy's shoulder and running towards Amu.

"Duck!" he ordered. Doing as he said, she covered her head as she heard something crackle over her head. She turned around to peek over her shoulder. It was a witch, struck by Ikuto's lightning.

Raising her head to look at him, she growled, "So you're… the Copycat!" Her figure began to disintegrate into ash. "She will surely get you…" her rasping voice echoed. "Soon enough…"

Amu's eyes widened as she watched the shadows including the witch disappear. Feeling Ikuto help her up, she stumbled up, still staring at the pile of ashes. "Our mission here is complete," the so called Kukai guy informed on the phone.

While he was speaking, Utau came up to Amu with a curious expression. How'd you do that? Amu frowned, wondering what she meant by that. "How'd I do what?" she shrugged. "How did you manage to break through the shadow cage?" Ikuto clarified. "If a normal human being were to be captured by one of those things, they would be trapped in darkness and be eaten away."

_If that's what happened, how did I get out?_ Glancing down at her ankle, the dark shadow marks that they left were slowly disappearing.

"Weird…" Amu murmured. "Anyways, who's that guy?" Kukai looked up, finally hanging up the call. He had ruffled light brown hair with emerald green eyes, staring right back at Amu. He wore a green shirt with short khakis and sneakers.

Holding out his hand, he greeted her with a grin. "I'm Kukai, a witch hunter like these guys." Shaking his hand, he gave a curious look. "Are you a new edition to our group?" Hesitantly glancing at Ikuto, she shrugged. "I… guess so?" she nodded slowly.

"Cool," he said, turning away. "HQ wants us back," he informed. "Let's go. Utau?" The girl smiled, catching up to him and holding his hand.

_So they're a couple_, she realized, walking beside Ikuto. When she looked at him, he still had that confused look on his face, trying to figure out how Amu was able to escape the shadows.

Once they returned Tsukasa listened to Ikuto's report. "I understand," he nodded, waving him away. "Amu, can we talk for a moment?" Clueless, she followed through the halls of the large building, realizing the halls were getting narrower.

Amu noticed a white door in front of them, hearing the faint echoes of birds chirping and water running. "I would like you to meet someone," he smiled, opening the door for her. Frowning, she walked in, only to be left alone in the large garden.

"Tsukasa?" she blinked. "He left me, huh…" Turning around, she was surrounded by various flowers and trees, towering over her head. The glass walls revealed a little courtyard outside. Following the sound of water trickling, she made to a clearing.

There was a boy around her age facing away from her, gently touching a flower's petals. Hearing her approach, he turned his head.

"Ah, hello," he greeted. Once she came closer, she realized he was in a wheelchair. He had long indigo hair with kind, bright amber eyes. "I apologize for not standing," he sighed, staring at his legs.

"No no, it's fine," she shook her head. "I'm sorry for staring." Nagihiko chuckled, "You're very honest, Amu. I like that about you." Looking up, she looked confused. "How do you know my name?" she frowned.

Glancing down at the water in the fountain, he allowed his fingers to trail over the surface. "Tsukasa told me about you before you came," he explained. "We're a small group, so news travels around here pretty quickly."

Scratching the back of her head in embarrassment, she weakly laughed. "I see," she smiled. Sitting on the fountain next to him, she admired the pretty flowers that bloomed around them. "Tell me about yourself," he insisted. "I know you're probably tired from explaining how you were cursed and all, so why not just talk about other stuff?"

Thinking to herself, she crossed her arms and sighed, looking up at the glass ceiling. "Well, I just finished junior year of high school, and summer just started. I have a little sister at home- Well, she's not at home, she left with my aunt."

As she explained her little life story to Nagihiko, he only sat there patiently, nodding and giving little comments. "You must have had a good life before this happened," he thought. "Um, Nagihiko?" she asked. "If I may ask, what happened to your… um… your legs?"

The boy stared at her for a moment. "I'm sorry," she shook her head awkwardly. "I shouldn't have asked that…" Nagihiko finally gave a smile, patting her shoulder. "It's fine. Like you, I was cursed by a witch. I once had the ability to run- run faster than anyone could. But she finally caught me."

Gesturing to his legs, he sighed. "And here I am now." Feeling sorry to have brought up a frail subject, she lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry for mentioning it in the first place." Nagihiko laughed. "You don't have to apologize all the time," he insisted. "It is what it is. Now tell me, are you comfortable here? I hope they're treating you nicely."

Remembering Ikuto pinching her cheek earlier, she rubbed her acne covered cheek. "A little bit," she mumbled. The boy chuckled, knowing what she meant. "Ikuto is like that to everyone," he explained. "He's been very independent ever since his sister was cursed."

Closing his eyes and enjoying the little harmony's the birds had between each other, he continued, "She had the loveliest voice. She'd always sing to us, no matter what mood she'd be in. Until the witch…"

"She took her voice away," Amu finished.

Nagihiko nodded, finally opening his eyes. "Whenever you're lonely, or need someone to talk to, I'll be right here, Amu." Nodding, she replied, "Thank you, Nagihiko. We met just a few minutes ago, but so far you're one of the kindest people I met."

Blushing at her compliment, he looked away and scratched the back of his head. "Is that so?" he chuckled. "Thank you for your kind words."

"Nagihiko," a new voice suddenly spoke. Turning around, Amu found a teenager standing beside them. Her eyes widened, surprised by how handsome he was. Similar to Tsukasa, he had a much brighter shade of blonde with the same hairstyle, along with red-violet colored eyes. His innocent look gave him a cute face. He wore a cream colored button down with dark tan pants that covered some of his brown shoes.

"I'm here to show Amu to her room," he informed. "I'm Tadase. It's a pleasure to meet you." Taking his hand she felt his warmth as he pulled her up. "Y-You too," she blushed. "I'm Amu." Acknowledging him, Nagihiko smiled at the girl once again. "It was nice meeting you," he nodded. "I hope to see you soon."

"You too," she nodded, following Tadase. Watching the two leave, he gave a sigh. "How long are you going to be there, Ikuto?" A dark figure appeared behind a clump of trees. "I had to watch her," he explained. "Orders."

With a frown, Nagihiko questioned, "Why?" Ikuto finally stepped out into the sunlight, giving a serious expression. "She may be a witch."


	4. Chapter 4

"I hope you'll enjoy your stay," Tadase smiled, melting Amu's heart. "Let me know if you need anything." Hiding her pink cheeks, she rushed into the room. Much like the one she was sleeping in, it was a small room with everything she needed. With the theme of creamy blue, the walls were decorated with floral blue wallpaper. Her bed was covered with a pale blue blanket, matching the same colored carpet. The closet, mirror, and desk were painted white.

"Thank you," she nodded, watching as he shut the door. Sighing, Amu wondering why I cute guy like him would join a group that hunts women down.

"Looks like the girl fell in love," a voice muttered. Turning around, she found Ikuto leaning against the open window. "W-What are you doing here?" she demanded. Ikuto sighed, stepping in and sitting on her bed.

"And I don't like Tadase," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I just met him a while ago." Shrugging, he seemed to be amused. "You call it 'love at first sight', don't you?"

With her cheeks turning red, she clenched her fists, holding herself back from kicking him out. "Anyways," she said with a firm voice. "What are you doing here?" Hi expression suddenly changed darkening from the once sly and amused. Standing up, he slowly approached her with questioning eyes.

Once he was inches away from her faces, he questioned, "What are you?" What am I…? Frowning upon that question, she tried to push him back, but he would not budge. "What kind of question is that?" she demanded. _When I first met him, he seemed like a careless, lazy guy. A little nice, but now it's as though his personality has totally changed_.

Taking her chin with his hand, he forced her to stare into his eyes. "No normal human could survive a shadow attack like that," he growled. "I might as well call you a witch and destroy you now-"

"Hold up, don't start accusing me as a witch!" she exclaimed. "Then explain to me how you did that," he demanded. Backing away, she finally hit the wall. Terrified, her eyes widened, grabbing the corner of the wall tightly.

Just as Ikuto was about to say something, someone knocked on the door. "Amu?" Rima called. "Are you in there?" Amu silently sighed in relief as Ikuto backed away.

With one last glare he leaped through the window without a sound. "What's with that guy?" she muttered before opening the door. Rima stood at the door with another girl, who was holding a bag of sweets. "You okay?" she frowned. "I thought I heard someone in your room."

"No, it's nothing," she denied. "Please, come in." The two girls entered the room, making themselves comfortable. "I'm Yaya by the way," the new girl introduced. She had short orange brown hair, with two small ponytails on each side of her head. Her large brown eyes shined happily at Amu. She also wore a red tank top and black shorts, as well as black sandals.

"Nice to meet you," she replied. As the three made themselves comfortable and talked through the whole night, it was finally time to sleep. "So tired~" Yaya yawned. "See you tomorrow, Amu!" Waving them goodbye, she shut the door behind her.

_It's been a long day_, she sighed. Realizing she was still in her school uniform, she decided to look through her wardrobe. _So many…!_ There were so many cute clothes she wanted to wear. Taking a loose gray shirt and short green sweatpants, she slipped into them and laid on her soft bed. _So comfy_, she thought happily, inhaling the scent of fresh laundry.

Even though everything was so warm and relaxing, she could not fall asleep. _I miss everyone_, she thought bitterly, holding back the tears. Sitting up, she turned the lights on, glancing at herself in the mirror.

She still looked like a brunette. _I miss the pink_, she sighed, touching her dry hair. Touching her cracked lips, she wondered if she had any chapstick.

"What's wrong?" a voice wondered. Noticing a figure behind her in the mirror, she turned around to find a witch. "You…?!" she realized. "You're that witch!"

"Oh, keep your voice down," she frowned. Amu's mouth suddenly shut as if a zipper had closed it. As she struggled to open her mouth, the witch sighed, examining her nails. "I can't tell you how much I love my figure now," she smiled.

Revealing her face under her hood, she seemed to have the goddess like features like Amu once had. _Hey!_ Amu narrowed her eyes. _Give me back my face!_ The witch chuckled, crossing her arms. "I'm afraid that will not happen, little lady," she smirked.

To her surprise, Amu leaped forward, tackling her into the desk behind her. Yelping in alarm, it seemed that she had awoken several residents within the building. "Get off!" the witch growled, prying her off.

With one finally kick, Amu stepped back, holding up her fists. "Oh, you want to fight like that, huh?" the witch cackled, wiping her lip. "What else should I take away from you? Your eyes? Your voice? Any suggestions?"

Hearing a sudden knock on her door, she heard Tadase call out, "Amu? Are you alright?" Before the witch could react, Amu charged at her with full speed. Without thinking, she pushed them both through the windows. Shards of glass flew past them as they fell down the three story building.

"What are you doing?" the witch shrieked. When she teleported, Amu came along, landing in the bushes with her. Still clinging on, she demanded, "Break the curse!"

"Like I ever would!" she spat. Finally pushing her away, she looked up to find the group of teenagers running towards them. "I'll get you back for this," she growled, wiping her scratched cheek.

As soon as she disappeared, Ikuto and the others had reached Amu. "Are you okay, Amu?" Tadase asked worriedly. Helping her up, she was too breathless to reply. Feeling the stinging pain from the glass scratching her, she was led back in by the girls. "I wonder what Amu is capable of now," Nagihiko pondered.

Glancing up at Ikuto, he stared at the spot where the witch had disappeared. "That witch," he finally spoke. "Was the same one who cast the curse on you and Utau, wasn't it?" Lowering his head, the boy nodded. "She's a dangerous witch," he noted.

The two stood outside for a moment for some fresh air. "Ow," Amu winced as Rima and Yaya dabbed at her wounds. _Just bear with it_, Utau wrote. _It's your fault for jumping through the window_.

"T-That's true," Amu sighed. "Did you know that witch?" Rima questioned. Nodding, she explained, "She was the one who cursed me. As well as… Utau… right?" Rima and Yaya glanced at Utau, who gave a sorrowful nod.

_She's one of the most dangerous witches we've met so far_. "Then how come Amu was able to fight her without using any special powers?" Yaya wondered. The girls sat there for a moment to think. "I don't know," Amu admitted, staring at her palms_. I get why Ikuto said that now. What am I?_


End file.
